Colder Than My Heartbeat
by malicent
Summary: The third book in the Broken Cat series. Snowy, Katy, Tom and Harry find themselves lost in the city of New York, hungry with no place to go. Friendships are tested as they try to find their way back, and a stranger with a secret appears, with the key to their survival.


Colder Than My Heartbeat

_This is the third book in the Broken Cat series. Please read the first two first ! _

Chapter 1: Decision

As a kit, you dream of the future. You wish upon stars, and hope for treasures and love. Yet as you grow older, your dreams fade, and your wishes become lost within the ages. As you live throughout the years, your eyes see things they shouldn't see. Your heart feels things, it never should feel. My name is Snowy, and my life was one hell of a ride. Now the rides over, and reality has sunk into my heart. All that's left is choices, and even when I make them, it won't do me any good... because someone loses no matter what I do. Someone is hurt, no matter what I say.

All I can do now is follow my heart.

Because if you didn't follow your heart, wouldn't you just be following everyone else's?

...

"Snowy, say something!" Tom begged. Snowy looked from Tom to Scourge, trying to force her mind to tell her what to do. As luck would have it, her mind decided to not respond.

"Snowy, tell this idiot that you love me," Scourge hissed. "You don't want a soft kittypet, do you?"

Snowy didn't respond.

"Do you?" Scourge hissed again, this time a bit louder.

"You think you're just really great, don't you?" Tom spat. Snowy looked at him in surprise.

"Oh yeah, you just think you're so freaking wonderful," Tom continued at Scourge. "Why don't you let her choose for herself, you worthless piece of -"

"Enough," Snowy growled. Tom stopped talking mid word. "What?"

"I said, _enough," _Snowy growled, her paws beginning to tremble with anger. "I am sick of you two! You both treat me like a trophy that you've already won!"

"Well you're not giving us an answer," Tom said feebly.

"Well too bad!" Snowy said, voice getting louder. "You both are giving me a headache."

"Um, guys," Katy gasped from behind them. Snowy, Tom and Scourge turned around to see Katy lying on the floor, blood poring from a wound in her side.

"Oh my god!" Snowy screamed, running towards her. She gently touched the bloody scratch on Katy's flank, but paused when she heard a door slam.

"Oh, _crap!" _Katy swore under her breath and heaved herself to her paws. Snowy stared at her in disbelief.

"Margaret is home," Katy said, wincing from the pain. "We need to get out, _now."_

"But there's blood all over the floor!" Harry cried. Snowy jumped in surprise. She had nearly forgotten Harry was there.

"Cat flap!" Tom cried, and leaped out in a single bound. Scourge followed him, cursing and spitting. Harry stumbled after them. Snowy let Katy lean on her shoulder and together they raced for the cat flap.

But it was no use.

Margaret had walked in, and when she saw the two cats staggering to the door, she stepped in front of it.

"Oh my gosh," the twoleg held her hand to her mouth as she saw the mess of dirt and blood on the carpet. "Oh goodness, kitties... what did you do?"

Katy then fell to the floor, gasping. Blood continued to stream out of her side. Margaret leaned over and picked up Katy, who cried out in pain.

"Sweet thing," Margaret said sadly. "Did you get into a fight?" then she walked away with Katy in her arms.

"Meet me outside!" Snowy called, then charged out of the flap. She saw Harry and Tom sitting a little ways away, crouching under the cover of a bush. Snowy ran up to them, realizing with a jolt that Scourge wasn't with them.

"Where's Scourge?" she asked the second they were in earshot.

"He said he didn't have time for this garbage, and then he ran away," Tom said happily.

"You don't need to sound so happy about it," Snowy hissed. Tom shrugged, then his eyes narrowed. "Where's Katy?" he asked, suddenly worried.

"Her twoleg picked her up and then took her away," Snowy explained. "I don't know where they wen-" she stopped mid word.

"What?" Tom snapped.

"Look," Snowy whispered, nodding her head. Tom turned around, to see Margaret holding a cat cage. Katy's face peered out, looking stricken.

"The vet," Tom said numbly. "She's taking her to the vet."

"What the heck is a vet?" Snowy grumbled. She looked on at Margaret opening her car door, then placing the cat cage in the back seat. Harry then pelted forward, charging towards the car at top speed.

"What's he doing?" Snowy cried in confusion.

"I don't know!" Tom replied, voice getting all high pitched with worry. Margaret had walked back into her house, leaving the back door open. Harry took this opportunity to climb into the back seat.

"Oh, what's he doing now?" Tom groaned. Then to Snowys dismay, Tom raced towards the car as well.

"For gods sake," Snowy hissed. Then she too ran towards the car.

"What the heck do you two think you're doing?" Katy was saying when Snowy appeared. "Margaret is going to be here any minute! Now is not the time to be goofing around!"

Harry didn't reply, just squeezed under the back seat. "Tom, hide!" he whispered. Tom looked around wildly before squeezing himself under the seat next to Harry.

"Have you two gone mad?" Snowy asked, eyes wide. "Margaret's going to be back any second and-" the slamming of a door made her stop talking. She turned around, to see Margaret walking towards the car holding a blanket.

"_Get in!" _Harry whisper/shrieked. _I don't know why I'm doing this, _Snowy thought to herself as she leaped in the car.

"_Move!" _she hissed at Tom and Harry. Harry scrunched into Tom the best he could, making just enough room for Snowy to wiggle in next to them.

"This is crowded," Harry muttered.

"It was your idea," Snowy replied. "So don't complain!"

"Sh!" Tom hissed. Snowy and Harry stopped bickering just in time for Margaret to peer into the back of the car. Harry, Tom and Snowy scrunched even farther backwards, not even daring to breathe. Luckily, Margaret didn't notice anything unusual. She placed the blanket in Katy's cage, and Katy gratefully flopped down on it. Margaret gave her a loving pet on the head before shutting the back door. "The vet's going to fix you right up," she smiled. "You'll be as good as new before you know it."

The second she shut the door, Katy turned to her friends. She glared at them through the wire mesh door. "What are you three _doing?" _she whispered as quietly as she could.

"I don't know," Harry admitted. Tom glared at him. "I thought you had a plan!" he hissed.

"I did," Harry said. "I just didn't plan out anything farther then jumping in the car."

"Idiot," Tom shook his head in disbelief.

"Stop bickering," Snowy mumbled. "It's not helping."

The toms stopped talking, and Snowy was relieved they were silent for the rest of the ride. It felt like hours had past by the time the car stopped. Snowy was getting uncomfortably hot next to Harry, and she longed for the cool air of outside, instead of this stifling, stuffy car air.

Finally, Margaret pulled the car into park, and got out the front seat. As she opened the back door, Tom, Harry and Snowy again had to scrunch. Margaret picked up the cat cage and was just about to shut the door when she stopped. She crinkled her nose and sniffed the air.

"Smells funny in here," she commented quietly, then to everyone's relief, she shut the door. The second the door was shut, Tom crawled out from under the seat. "Well, of course it smells funny in here," he snapped. "Harry, you farted on me!"

"I didn't mean to," Harry mumbled, embarrassed. "It just came out."

"Ugh," Tom waved his paw around to clear the air. Harry started to giggle.

"Guys, how are we going to get out?" Snowy asked hesitantly. She stood up on her hind leg and patted the glass. "We're stuck!"

"Open the door," Harry suggested.

"How?" Snowy cried, patting the handle with her paw.

"Let me," Tom said confidently, standing up on his hind legs as well. He raised both paws and slammed them down on the handle.

It didn't move.

"Oh yeah, you got this," Harry said sarcastically.

"Not helpful," Tom muttered, trying to open it again. This time he lost his balance and missed, resulting in his paws hitting a small button on a ledge. Snowy gasped in surprise.

The window had opened slightly.

"Do it again!" Harry cried, delighted. Tom pressed the button down hard with his paw, and to everyone's disbelief, the window opened more.

"Fresh air!" Harry bellowed, and then he dived for the window.

"Harry!" Snowy cried, when she heard a thump and a 'ow' from outside. She gently jumped from the window, landing beside Harry who had landed headfirst onto the concrete.

"That didn't feel very good," Harry grumbled, shaking his head to get the dust off it. Then there was another thump, and Snowy looked beside her to see Tom standing there. "So what now?" he asked in exasperation. Snowy looked at Harry, who shrugged.

"Useless," Tom muttered, walking off in the direction of the big building they were beside. Snowy ran after him, but stopped when she realized Harry was still laying on the concrete. "Are you coming?" she called after him.

"I'll catch up," Harry groaned. "I feel really dizzy and I'm just gonna sit for a minute."

"Alright, don't take too long!" Snowy called back. Then she ran up to keep up with Tom. He turned to look at her, smiling. "Sorry about before," he whispered. "You know, with Scourge."

"Don't worry about it," Snowy said, not meeting his eyes. Tom hesitated before speaking again. "So, did you think about your decision..."

"Not now," Snowy said sharply. Then her expression turned soft. "I can't think about that right now, Tom. We have to find Katy."


End file.
